Roburt

RE: There is certainly evidence to suggest that The Wheel was setting the trend. Eagle was quoted as saying that Peter Stringfellow, manager/DJ of Sheffield's well regarded R&B club, King Mojo, brought a pen and paper with him when he came to The Wheel to write down the artists' details and song titles to buy the same records to play at the Mojo. I am not too sure that is totally correct. Pete Stringfellow started his 1st Sheffield Beat Club (the BLACK CAT) in 1962. However, the very first 60's style music club in the city was CLUB 60 that was opened in 1960. This started out as a jazz venue but soon started hosting R&R bands on certain nights. From R&R it quickly moved on the blues + R&B music. The likes of the Yardbirds, John Mayall, Graham Bond, Zoot Money Joe Cocker, Dave Berry + R & B giants John Lee Hooker and Sonny Boy Williamson played the ESQUIRE CLUB (as it had become). This establishment was Stringers first main opposition. However, Pete booked the Beatles to play his venue just before they had their 1st big hit. He got them for a small booking fee but by the time they were due to play in his Sheffield club (which was located in St Aidan's Church Hall), the group were massive with "Please, Please Me". His venue couldn't manage the numbers of fans who wanted tickets (to their credit, the Beatles played for their original booking fee). So Stringers booked the Azena Ballroom for the night (2nd April 63) & he made a killing. He used the cash to open a new club (the BLUE MOON -- again based in a church hall)) and started booking more nationally known pop acts. But he wanted his own place & so purchased a building in Pitsmoor (north Sheffield) early in 1964 and christened it the MOJO CLUB. He always had a high opinion of his abilities & so when a new TV pop show hit the screens, he approached the team running it, to volunteer his services. The TV show was READY, STEADY, GO and they took Pete on to run the studio dance floor. RSG had commenced in August 63 but by the end of that year, it was moving more into R&B music, both that made by UK groups as well as that from US soul acts. I'm unsure of when Pete first worked on the TV show but it must have been late in 63 or early in 64. When down in London for RSG, he'd go to a club called La Discotheque on Wardour St. It seems this had opened in 1961 and was a venue that just played records (no live acts). By 63/64/65 the music you could hear there included James Brown 'Night Train', Betty Everett 'Getting Mighty Crowded', The Impressions 'You Been Cheating', Otis R 'Mr.Pitiful' and Wilson Pickett's 'In The Midnight Hour'. Pete took the idea of an all-discs night back to the Mojo and ran such sessions each Tuesday. They took off and helped establish his new club & funded the booking of big acts on weekends. There was a lot of rivalry in Sheffield between the Mojo crowd & the Esquire crowd. If Pete booked a R&B , mod or soul act, the Esquire crowd would go see them play the Wheel, rather than go to the Mojo. But Pete's club was soon more popular than the Esquire, with the Small Faces playing their 1st gig outside London at the Mojo. He also booked the likes of the Who, Geno Washington, Jimmy James & Vags, He could get as many tickets for RSG as he wanted & would invite Mojo regulars to take a coach down to London to b e on the show (it was a Mojo lad who coined the show's catchphrase THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE). Pete would pick up on new 45's, new US acts while down with the RSG team and was soon booking the likes of Wilson Pickett (backed by Reg Dwight's Bluesology), Stevie Wonder, Ike and Tina Turner, Edwin Starr's (Edwin's 1st UK gig was @ the Mojo) and Don Covay & The Goodtimers. One of Jimi Hendrix's 1st UK gigs after "Hey Joe" was released here was @ the Mojo. Pete would get to hear lots of new US soul releases whilst with the RSG team or when in London record shops & clubs. There were also local soul fans in Sheffield who were cultivating US contacts back in the mid 60's & would pass good US soul dance 45's onto Pete. Pete went from being a pop music fan to a soul fan, he wasn't really into blues stuff (that was more of an Esquire Club thing). I don't recall any Bobby Bland tracks being big @ the Mojo (that doesn't mean none were, just that I don't remember any being Mojo biggies). So to say Pete Stringfellow got his musical direction from the Wheel is a bit off IMHO. He may have visited the 1st Wheel club to see what was popular there (ahead of the Mojo opening), but by 1964, his musical focus was definitely on what was popular with London clubbers.

ITV getting in on the act ... Wigan Casino celebrates 50 years since the beginning of Northern Soul culture | ITV News Granada https://www.itv.com/news/granada/2023-09-19/the-dance-hall-sensation-that-lives-on-after-50-years?fbclid=IwAR0xvnKREuGNOX5yRyjTCv6PFRo4nG4ew1NG58wxV3aU66Ha1Ld3UHIdHSQ

.... from my post above ... >> I spent most of the nights that summer in the place but the intervening 57 years have dulled my memory. I do remember that Fred Benson used to DJ at the place later in the 60's, maybe he remembers it's name. Looking up on an old thread, it could well be that the 1966 Cleethorpes soul nights were held in the Purple Onion Club which was in Cleggy Market Street. I seem to remember the club even hosted live acts in 1967 (Alan Bown, Fantastics, etc).

TALKING OF CLEETHORPES ... I used to attend a soul club in Cleethorpes back in the summer of 1966. My scooter broke down while I was there for a 2 week spell & I had to leave it with a local dealer for repair. Had to hitch a lift back to Donny on the day of the World Cup Final (& return to Cleggy a week later to pick up my scooter). I should be able to remember the name of the club as I spent most of the nights that summer in the place but the intervening 57 years have dulled my memory. I do remember that Fred Benson used to DJ at the place later in the 60's, maybe he remembers it's name. Bought my 1st pair of Levi's whilst there; a guy had 'borrowed them' from a local men's fashion shop & wanted to move them on. So they came cheap -- I was on school summer holidays after taking my O Levels, so didn't have enough money to pay full price for a pair of Levis ... well on top of buying 2 mohair made to measure suits, adding to my record collection & keeping my Lambretta on the road).

The BBC has had another go too ... Wigan Casino: Northern Soul finds a new crowd on nightclub's 50th anniversary - BBC News https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-66867519?at_medium=social&at_campaign_type=owned&at_format=link&at_campaign=Social_Flow&at_ptr_name=facebook_page&at_link_id=93A1B94A-5900-11EE-B6DA-E39DECABB293&at_link_origin=BBC_North_West&at_link_type=web_link&at_bbc_team=editorial&fbclid=IwAR1jeYraRcPGbSFP-mDBtqbIUmnYFMHGYbV-be1KqdUlnNKnKokshYwrFfE

RE: Ain't no more room The Kittens .... Never went to the Mecca, so never heard it there .... I did however have my own copy in 1968. Purchased from Ray Avery's In Gallatin, though they scratched the DJ COPY text off the label. I played it when I DJ'd @ the Attic in Donny in the 60's.

WHEEL CD tracks ... Lou Johnson–Magic Potion3:10 Bunker Hill–Hide And Go Seek2:26 James Carr–That's What I Want To Know1:53 Lee Dorsey–Ride Your Pony2:53 Oscar Toney Jr.–No Sad Songs2:00 Moses* & Joshua Dillard–My Elusive Dreams2:19 James & Bobby Purify–Shake A Tail Feather2:13 Little Richard–A Little Bit Of Something (Beats A Whole Lot Of Nothing)3:04 Major Lance–It's The Beat2:27 Larry Williams & Johnny Watson–A Quitter Never Wins2:38 Al Greene & The Soul Mates–Don't Leave Me2:09 Clifford Curry–I Can't Get A Hold Of Myself2:06 Bob Kuban & The In-Men*–The Cheater2:40 Shirley* & The Shirelles–Look What You've Done To My Heart3:11 James & Bobby Purify–Let Love Come Between Us2:28 The Spellbinders–Help Me (Get Myself Together Again)2:25 Peaches & Herb–I Need Your Love So Desperately2:35 The Bandwagon*–Breakin' Down The Walls Of Heartache2:38 Bob Brady & The Con-Chords*–Everybody's Going To The Love-In2:49 The Incredibles (2)–There's Nothing Else To Say2:27 Shirley Ellis–Soul Time2:40 Major Lance–Ain't No Soul (Left In These Old Shoes)2:25 Billy Butler–Right Track2:27 The Vibrations–Cause You're Mine2:12 Sandi Sheldon–You're Gonna Make Me Love You TORCH CD .... Lou Johnson–Unsatisfied2:35 The Virginia Wolves–Stay1:38 Major Lance–Investigate2:36 Roy Hamilton (5)–Crackin' Up Over You2:18 The Ovations–They Say2:06 Bobbi Lynn–Earthquake2:12 Phillip Mitchell–Free For All (Winner Takes All)2:56 Little Richard–I Don't Want To Discuss It2:19 The Triumphs (8)–I'm Coming To Your Rescue2:25 The Exciters–Blowing Up My Mind2:48 Robert Knight–Love On A Mountain Top2:31 The Carstairs–He Who Picks A Rose2:35 Willie Kendrick–Change Your Ways2:28 The Glories–I Worship You Baby2:33 Major Lance–You Don't Want Me No More2:11 The Cavaliers–Hold On To My Baby2:29 Herb Ward–Honest To Goodness2:52 George Carrow–Angel Baby (Don't You Ever Leave Me)3:06 The Vibrations–Gonna Get Along Without You Now2:10 Larry Williams & Johnny Watson–Too Late2:18 The Sweet Things–I'm In A World Of Trouble2:33 Johnny Moore (5)–Walk Like A Man2:27 The Nite-Liters–K-Jee4:01 The Lorelei–S.t.o.p.2:46 The Trammps–Scrub Board MECCA .... Morris Chestnut–Too Darn Soulful Lorraine Chandler–I Can't Hold On Lee David (2)–Temptation Is Calling My Name Bernie Williams–Ever Again Tony Middleton–Paris Blues Lynn Randell*–Stranger In My Arms The Van Dykes–Save My Love For A Rainy Day Lou Courtney–Trying To Find My Woman Susan Barrett–What's It Gonna Be Shane Martin (2)–I Need You The M.V.P.'s–Turnin' My Heartbeat Up Robert Knight–Branded Laura Greene–Moonlight, Music & You T.D. Valentine–Love Trap Lou Ragland–I Travel Alone The Uptights–Shy Guy Bobby Lester–Hang Up Your Hang-Ups Patti Austin–Didn't Say A Word Lou Edwards & Today's People*–Talkin' 'Bout Poor Folks Thinkin' 'Bout My Folks Van McCoy–Soul Improvisations Pt 2 The Trammps–Hold Back The Night Written-By – E. Young*, N. Harris*, R. Baker* Written-By – E. Young*, N. Harris*, R. Baker* The Brothers–Are You Ready For This The Philly Devotions*–I Just Can't Say Goodbye Earth, Wind & Fire–Happy Feelin' Aquarian Dream (2)–Phoenix CASINO ... Paul Anka–I Can't Help Loving You2:37 Dana Valery–You Don't Know Where Your Interest Lies2:15 Dean Courtney–I'll Always Need You2:08 Michael & Raymond–Man Without A Woman2:03 Reparata & The Delrons*–Panic2:11 Nancy Ames–I Don't Want To Talk About It2:06 Spiral Staircase*–More Today Than Yesterday2:51 Percy Wiggins–It Didn't Take Much (For Me To Fall In Love)2:45 Christopher Cerf–Sweet Music2:20 Billy Joe Royal–Hearts Desire2:42 The Charmaines*–Eternally2:24 Otis Blackwell–It's All Over Me2:43 Taj Mahal–(Ain't That) A Lot Of Love4:01 The Jades–I'm Where It's At2:31 Jimmy Fraser–Of Hope & Dreams & Tombstones2:38 Don Ray (5)–Born A Loser1:46 Derek & Ray*–Interplay3:04 Beverly Ann–You've Got Your Mind On Other Things2:19 Sue Lynn*–Don't Pity Me2:40 Honey Townsend–The World Again2:38 The Seven Souls–I Still Love You2:24 Rick Sheppard (3)–Can We Share It3:14 Judy Freeman & Blackrock–Hold On2:31 Gerri Granger–I Go To Pieces (Everytime)2:30 Tobi Legend–Time Will Pass You By FROM RECENT DISCUSSIONS on FACEBOOK, I'd have thought the likes of 'Times A Wasting' & 'Just Like The Weather' should be added to the Torch listing.

Oh dear......ON and ON and ... out ON the floor .... ON a Saturday Night (as Eddie Floyd would say) ... SEE THREAD ... BBC Breakfast - Wigan Casino 50th Anniversary Northern Soul Feature ... AND a piece from a few weeks ago ... WAITROSE MAG ...

Wall to wall #Wigan50 on BBC TV News all day. Started after 6am & has been on each news broadcast throughout the day. Bet Look North (North West) do a local piece tonight as well. Lots of dancers (+RS) interviewed on BBC Breakfast Show; from Chicago, Aussie, Bolton, Preston, Leeds & Wigan. The old lass from Wigan even admitted she had 'help' back in the 70's to get her thru the niter sessions.

Don't forget to tune into BBC Breakfast from 6am tomorrow morning ...

I'm obviously a bit older then the others posting on this thread. My fairground days were in 1964/65. The big sounds I recall getting played all the time back then were the Drifters "Under The Boardwalk" & "Come On Over To My Place" , Lee Dorsey's "Get Out My Life Woman", M & V's "Dancing In The Street" plus Cliff Bennett "One Way Love", Them's "Here Comes The Night" & "Baby Please Don't Go", Righteous Bros "Lovin Feeling" & Moody Blues "Go Now".

I recall a photo posted on the net about 10 years ago of a record warehouse (?) in somewhere like Nigeria where there were 1000's of albums / 45's strewn all over the floor of a very large room & a guy trying to sort thru them all. In the 70's, west African music was very influenced by US funk sounds, so there should be loads of funky local cuts from those times & a little afterwards. ALSO, quite a few US soul acts toured Sth Africa in the 70's, 80's with a few of them even recording there (I have a couple of Sth African recorded albums, one being a decent effort from C L Blast from 1982).

Was this one of the first signs of interest in rare soul 45's in this country ... .... letter written in Feb / March 1970; published by B&S in April 70 ...

A few Mayfield tracks ...

Anyone know how Rudy Love came to give the Persuaders his song "Hey Sister" and also how he came to play on their 'It's All About Love' album (Calla; 76).

Although he started out as a reputable booking agent, bringing many top soul stars to the UK to tour, Roy Tempest morphed into just about the most notorious guys on the UK music scene from August 67. Starting with the Fabulous Temptations (Velours) & the Original Drifters (Invitations), he started to book fake groups on UK tours. The groups didn't know what was happening at first, in fact when Sam, Erv & Tom (the Diplomats) turned up to play a UK club in October 67 they saw a poster advertising the Isley Brothers. Great said Sam, we're friends with those guys ... and then he was told that THEY were the Isley Brothers that night. Anyway, Roy Tempest was making bigger profits from his 'fake group' tours than he was from booking the likes of Garnett Mimms, the Coasters, Larry Williams & Johnny Watson, Solomon Burke, etc. So he kept bringing (mainly) New York based groups over here to tour, advertising them as a more famous outfit. Beacon Records put a 45 out here on the 1st March 68; the Show Stoppers -- Ain't Nothing But A House Party (originally Apple Records were gonna license the track).. Before the end of March it was on the UK pop Top 40 chart and an immediate opportunity presented itself to Roy T. The group were quickly brought over to the UK on a lightning trip to promote the cut & they appeared on Top of the Pops on 18th April (68). A quick dash around a number of UK music mags for interviews, etc and it was time to return to Philly. But the 45 continued to climb the pop charts till that May, the track was filling dance floors in every UK club / ballroom ... but the group weren't here to fill the demand for them to play live gigs. In stepped, Roy T and a group were booked to play a UK tour; the International Showstoppers. They sang "Ain't Nothing But A House Party" and lots of other recent US soul hits to good audience reaction. But the Showstoppers they weren't. In fact they were actually a New York based group, the Internationals. Returning to New York, the group landed a record deal with D-Or Recording (no doubt, mentioning their recent successful UK tour). In 69 they had a 45 out ("Give A Damn") and this sold well locally. A 2nd 45 followed in 1970 ("Beautiful Philosophy"). But the group members weren't getting on and they also came into dispute with their manager. The group effectively broke up with 2 members leaving the group. But 2 new members were added; Charles Stodghill and (briefly) Richard Poindexter joining and under a new name (the Persuaders) the new outfit was soon enjoying even greater success( on Win Or Lose / Atco). Joe Coleman was to become a member of the rejigged group in the mid 70's, joining the outfit when True Reflection (1972 - 75) broke up. After his brief spell as a Persuader, he joined Mirage who cut for RCA (1978). He was also a member of the Platters but by the early 80's he'd gone solo. Members of all the groups involved hade enjoyed success at various times & many of their old group /solo recordings have stood the test of time well. Some of them have even been reissued due to continued demand for some of the old tracks. HAS ANYONE DONE a full group history / timeline that makes the above unfolding story more clear & easy to understand ? ALSO, does anyone remember seeing the group when they performed live in the UK in 1968. ? Fine deep soul from the Internationals ...

Nola 45 -- Nov 65 Atlantic 45 -- Feb 65 "Walking" was the B side to TEASIN YOU on both releases.

Any idea when it was booted ? 1973 / 74 / 75 ?

Known in the UK from early 1967 when it escaped here on Cameo Parkway. Was played in UK soul clubs from it being a new release but was never (to my knowledge) a top sound back then. But coz it was a release on the iconic C/P UK label, was always much sought after by UK soul collectors on UK 45. It seems though, that when it did go 'big' in NS circles, that many UK copies of the 45 were played by the then DJ's as a C/U. Seemed a pointless exercise to me but I guess to the 'Torch / Casino' generation, it wasn't (initially) a well known sound (with 70's niter goers). The tempo of the track (100mph stomper) made it more popular as a floor-filler in the 70's. The B side is a much better song. Sorry, can't answer your boot question.

Barbados & Canada have had strong links (both musical & otherwise) since the 50's. Barbados has always (well for well over 100 years) been more 'British' than the UK. Many Bajans fought for us in WW2 & others were amongst the 1st of the Windrush folk, but that's by the by. Canada was (50's / 60's) also very British but also very cold in the winters (which are about 6 months long). So to escape their winters, many 'better off' Canadians bought holiday homes on the island & spent much of the winter there (towns like Holetown have whole areas of small villas that were built for & bought by Canadians). With lots of Canadians spending 8 to 12 weeks on the island each year, it was only natural that romantic relationships would develop. Many new 'couples' wanted to stay together, so would move to Canada, still spending the winter back in the Caribbean. A two way relationship soon developed & Bajans started to move to Canada for education purposes and more. Many Bajan singers relocated to Canada, which took over from Jamaica & the UK as the No.1 place for musically talented folk to relocate to. Many other local singers did head off to Miami / New York or the UK, but many made Canada their home. Canada always made it easy for Bajans to move there (unlike the UK) & nearly always made them welcome (unlike the UK). Each year the islanders celebrate CROP-OVER & lots of Emigrants return home to see family members. Lots of the singers , musicians also head back home to perform at the many musical events staged in that period. In the 80's & 90's lots of the best 'soul' music to come out of Canada was recorded by Bajans or the kids of ex-Bajans. I know lots of those recordings were highlighted at the time in soul mags like Steve G's New Blackbeat. Sadly, most of that music & those artists slipped quickly back into obscurity.

Of course it did; everything played before the Casino was just 'youth club' records; not niter sounds ... 🤣😂🤣😂

Decks, speakers & amplification moved ahead at the fast pace from the late 60's thru to the mid 70's. Of course, not every venue kept up with the times & some had sound systems that were crap. The 'power' (wattages on the amplification) of systems in the mid 60's was quite low but I don't recall the sound in clubs such as the Mojo, Nite Owl or Wheel being that low-fi (but I was young at the time & it was a very long time ago). Of course, being small cellar type rooms meant you didn't really need massive wattages.

Beg to differ to your closing statement. WORST YEARS FOR NS QUALITY >> 75, 76, 77, 78 ..... obviously some good sounds were discovered & played, but in general the quality was sh*te. Decent stuff started to take over again in the early 80's (Clifton Halls) & continued thru the Stafford / 100 Club years.

Drop the Torch spot BUT REPLACE IT WITH a Clifton Halls section. It was the Clifton Halls that drove the scene forward in the early 80's (& helped bring the Casino era to an end).

Cleveland himself thought it was a priceless 45 ...